Lightweight American-style coffee always had its dark, dreamy counterpart in European espresso. Green tea had its bitter premium version in matcha. There has not been, however, a similiar parallel in the world of black tea  -- until now. 

Kirin Beverage, maker of the ubiquitous Afternoon Tea (Gogo no Kocha) line, has launched a luxuriously dense version of its usual British-inspired drink under the name Espresso Tea. Kirin claims to use "highly fragrant tea leaves, richly extracted with hot water and high pressure" to create the concoction.

So is the Espresso Tea a whole new category of black tea beverages? Sadly, no.

The main issue is that Espresso Tea contains milk and sugar, which makes it more like a cafe au lait than a straight-up espresso. The drink is not a 'shot' of bitter liquid. The taste overall is nearly identical to the normal Milk Tea variety of Afternoon Tea, with a slightly richer and more complex flavor. Had Kirin not added the milk and sugar, the bitter drink may have actually approximated an 'espresso tea.'

For milk tea devotees, however, we are happy to report that this is one of the better offerings in the market. If you can forget the big promises of the name, this is the can to grab when you need a milk tea fix.

Kirin Beverage's Espresso Tea, ¥120